Opening large project (converted from v.24 to v.25) leads to auto-relinking all links every time

Issue - Opening a large media project (converted from v.24 to v.25) leads to auto-relinking of all links every time it is opened in v.25 (Productions workflow).
Adobe Premiere Pro version number: 25.0.0 (Build 61)
Operating system - Windows 11 Pro ver 23H2 OS Build: 22631.4317
System Info:
CPU : 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700K, 3400 MHz
GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (Asus ProArt)
GPU driver : nvldumdx.dll Version : 32.0.15.6094
RAM : 64.0 GB
Hard Drives (all internal): OS/Program: WD_Black SN850X NVMe (1TB M.2); Scratch disk / Media caches : Samsung 850 EVO SSD (512 GB); Media and Production/Project files on four WD Black HDDs (4TB-10TB).

Video format: Mostly iPhone videos. Almost all are 8-bit H.264.
Workflow details: Productions workflow as described below.

Steps to reproduce -
1. Install Premiere Pro v.25. Open Premiere Pro v.25
2. Open v.24 Production file (created/last updated in v24.6.3). Premiere says it needs to convert the projects in this Production (as they were saved with a previous version of Premiere), and apparently does so, copying folder and renaming it with _V25.0.0 suffix.
3. Open 'VIDEO' Project (approx 10 MB, linking to approx 10,000 clips) in 'updated' Production.
4. Auto-relinking process commences (progress visible in Progress Dashboard, takes around 40mins).
5. Upon completion of relinking, Save Project (in Production window). Close Project. Close Production.
6. Exit Premiere Pro.
7. Start Premiere Pro.
8. Open new v.25.0.0 Production. Open 'VIDEO' Project.

Expected result - Auto-relinked files should be remembered next time Production/Project is opened.
Actual result - Auto-relinked files not remembered next time Production/Project is opened. Auto-relinking process starts all over again, meaning PP is effectively unusable for 40mins or so.

Expanded/background info:

Although a single user/editor, I've been using a Productions setup for the past three years or more. My Production folder consisting partly of four 'media' Projects, one each for MUSIC, AUDIO, PHOTO, VIDEO - plus 'editing' Projects with timelines/sequences referencing media listed in those four media Projects. These media Project files are very small, except for the VIDEO one (which links to around 10,000 iPhone video clips, spread over four permanently-connected internal HDDs). File size of the VIDEO Project file is around 10MB.

This works very well, although I've now run into an issue when upgrading to v.25. Opening my v.24 Production in v.25.0.0 (Build 61) gives a message that the Production/Project files will need to be converted/copied to a new folder (this has happened several times previously eg, from v.22 to v.23, v.23 to v.24 etc, with no issues). Opening each of the 'media' Projects then kicks off an automatic relinking procedure, which takes around 40mins for the VIDEO Project. I then Save the Project.

Unfortunately, after quitting Premiere and then restarting it, upon opening this same new Production and VIDEO Project, it starts the auto-relinking process all over again, making the software effectively unusable for the next 40mins. It's doing this every time I open the VIDEO Project.

I've tried reinstalling v.25 several times (with and without retaining preferences etc, restarting PC between uninstalls/reinstalls). I've also tried:

• installing Beta of v.25.2. and opening/converting v.24 Production 
• Manually Unlinking whole swathes of the auto-relinked VIDEO Project links (in the v.25 Project window), saving the Project, and then re-linking them (and saving again). 
• Making a copy of the VIDEO project.

None of this has had any effect on the auto-relinking issue.

I've now reinstalled (and am continuing to use) v.24.6.3 (Build 4), opening a copy of my v.24 Production folder. Initially it went through the same auto-relinking process on the VIDEO Project (again, taking approx 40mins); but this time results in the links being remembered, with no issues the next time I open the Production in v.24.